Knee Rehab Exercises

Written By: Chloe Wilson, BSc(Hons) Physiotherapy
Reviewed by: KPE Medical Review Board

One of the key goals of knee rehab is building up muscle strength.

Having strong leg muscles provides better support for the knee, ensures that the forces going through the joint are evenly distributed, and helps reduce the pressure through the knee.

Virtually everyone suffering with knee pain, whatever the cause, will benefit from rehab exercises to strengthen their knee muscles.

Before embarking on these advanced knee rehab exercises, if you haven't already I suggest you start with the basic and intermediate strengthening exercises to build up your strength. The last thing you want to do is overwork an already painful knee.

Start slowly and build up. Once you’ve mastered the first and second stage exercises, you are ready to progress onto these advanced strengthening knee rehab exercises.

Squats are one of the best ways to reduce knee pain and they strengthen the quads, hamstrings and glutes all at the same time.

• Stand upright with feet hip width apart, toes pointing forwards
  
  
• Slowly squat downwards as far as is comfortable without letting your knees go forwards over your toes. Then return to starting position
  
  
• Repeat 10-30x
  
  
• To work harder, increase the depth of the squat and/or hold at the bottom for a few seconds before coming back up

Top Tips: Don’t let your knees drop inwards, keep your kneecap in line with your second toe

This is a great knee rehab exercise to increase knee strength in both the quads, hamstrings and glutes, again all at the same time.

• Stand on the leg to be worked, and put other leg behind you on a chair
  
  
• Slowly squat down as far as comfortable. The knee should not go beyond your toes (see dotted line). Return to starting position
  
  
• Repeat 10-30x on each leg

Top Tips: 1. Keep your back straight throughout – don’t lean forwards
2. The movement should be slow and controlled for maximum benefit.

This is a great knee rehab to increase quads, hamstring and buttock strength and improve knee control.

• Stand in staggered stance position (one foot in front of the other)
  
  
• Slowly squat downwards taking your back knee towards the floor. Then slowly return to starting position
  
  
• Repeat 10-30x on each leg
  
  
• For more of a challenge, start with your front leg up on a step (as shown). This allows you to squat even lower!

Top Tips: 1. Make sure you are going down not forwards
2. The emphasis should be on a slow, controlled movement
3. Don’t let your front knee go forwards over your toes

Lunges are a great knee rehab exercise to increase knee strength and control. They are similar to squats but require more control as you step forwards and lower at the same time making them more functional.

• Start by standing upright, feet pointing forwards
  
  
• Step forward with one leg and drop your back knee, keeping most of your body weight on your front leg. Push off the front leg to return to standing position
  
  
• Repeat 10-30x on each leg
  
  
• You can challenge yourself further by stepping forwards onto a box as shown to increase the depth of the dip and/or holding weights while doing the exercise

Top Tips: 1. Keep your toes pointing forwards and your back straight
2. Don’t let your front knee go over your toes – if that is happening you need to step further forwards

• Stand upright, feet pointing forwards. Imagine you are at the centre of a clock
  
  
• Step straight forwards as if to 12 o’clock with one leg and drop your back knee, keeping most of your body weight on your front leg. Push off the front leg to return to starting position
  
  
• The lunge slightly to the side, as if to 1 o’clock and back. Then to 2 o’clock etc until you have worked your way all round the clock
  
  
• Repeat 5-10x on each leg
  
  
• For more of a challenge, hold weights while doing the exercise

Top Tips: 1. Keep your toes pointing forwards and your back straight
2. Don’t let your front knee go over your toes – if that is happening you need to step further forwards

Plank leg lifts are a great way to increase buttock and leg strength and control.

• Lie on the floor with your hands directly under your shoulders
  
  
• Tighten your abdominal muscles and lift yourself up off the floor, keeping your body straight. Then lift 1 leg up off the floor
  
  
• Hold for 3 seconds a lower
  
  
• Repeat 10-20x on each leg
  
  
• For more of a challenge you can also pulse your leg up and down quickly in this position to further strengthen the muscles

Top Tips: 1. Keep your back straight – don’t let it arch up or sink down
2. Keep your pelvis/hips level – don’t let them drop down on one side

Box jumps are a useful part of knee rehab to increase knee strength and control. They are particularly good after ligament injuries e.g. ACL injuries

• Stand upright next to a small, sturdy box/step
  
  
• Jump up sideways onto the box, landing with both feet. Then jump off the box down to the ground, again landing with both feet
  
  
• Repeat 10-30x each way
  
  
• Progress to jumping completely over the box landing with both feet together on the far side

Top Tips: 1. Make sure the box is sitting securely so it can’t move when you jump onto it
2. Start with a low box/step and gradually increase the height